BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – In the build-up to the May 23 release of the summer superhero adventure “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” Hardee’s restaurants around the country have introduced two new “X-Tra” items to the menu.

The Western X-Tra Bacon Cheeseburger comes with four strips of bacon, two fried onion rings, American cheese, barbecue sauce and a charbroiled beef patty on your choice of a seeded or fresh baked bun. The burger is available in 1/4-pound, 1/3-pound and “six dollar” sizes, and prices start at $3.79 but vary by location.

The X-Tra Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit also features four strips of bacon, egg and American cheese on a made-from-scratch biscuit. That cost is $2.59, depending on location.

“Besides being a pure thrill ride, this ‘X-Men’ movie stars more Academy Award winners and nominees than any film ever made,” Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Hardee's and its sister chain, Carl’s Jr., said in a press release.

“So, since this promises to be the biggest and best ‘X-Men’ film ever, we’re making two of our most popular menu items, the iconic Western Bacon Cheeseburger and the breakfast favorite Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, bigger and better than ever by loading them up with four strips of crispy bacon, double the amount we serve on the originals.”

If you’re keeping score at home, the 1/3-pound Western X-Tra Bacon Cheeseburger has 1,010 calories, 58 grams of fat and 110 milligrams of cholesterol, according to the Hardee's website. The X-Tra Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit has 530 calories, 33 grams of fat and 225 milligrams of cholesterol, according to the website.

Hardee’s is promoting the new “X-Tra” menu items with TV spots featuring three popular X-Men characters -- starting with an ad starring the blue-skinned, yellow-eyed, shape-shifting Mystique (played by Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence) that began airing last week.

Also, Hardee’s customers are invited to submit photos of themselves on Instagram using the hashtag #EatLikeYouMeanIt for a chance at an “X-Man Digital Makeover.”

Starting in April, Hardee’s will offer 40-ounce “X-Men” collector’s cups that include a peel-and-win promotion good for free or discounted food items and a code to enter in the sweepstakes for a trip for two to New York City.

New to the Menu in Birmingham appears periodically on AL.com’s Birmingham edition. To suggest a restaurant that has made recent changes or additions to its menu, email bcarlton@al.com.